Question 1

Enlivening business messages with humor will always please your readers, especially if they don't know you very well.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning?

Accepted Answer

The denotative meaning is the

Question 3

A euphemism is a word or phrase that is

Accepted Answer

A)  highly technical. 
B)  possibly offensive. 
C)  a milder term for one with negative connotations. 
D)  general or abstract in meaning. 
A)  highly technical. 
B)  possibly offensive. 
C)  a milder term for one with negative connotations. 
D)  general or abstract in meaning.

Question 4

________ words express a concept or quality, not a tangible object.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ words express a concept or quality,...

Question 5

Explain what it means to "emphasize the positive" in business messages, and describe at least three techniques for doing so.

Accepted Answer

Emphasizing the positive in business com

Question 6

It is best to limit your use of the word "you" in business messages if

Accepted Answer

A)  you know your audience well. 
B)  it will make your message sound overly authoritative or accusing. 
C)  you are filling your audience's informational needs. 
D)  your organization prefers an informal, personal style. 
A)  you know your audience well. 
B)  it will make your message sound overly authoritative or accusing. 
C)  you are filling your audience's informational needs. 
D)  your organization prefers an informal, personal style.

Question 7

In general, the word "you" should be avoided when you are assigning responsibility for a mistake or problem.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The rules of grammar and usage

Accepted Answer

A)  no longer matter in business writing. 
B)  are complex and some evolve over time. 
C)  used to be very complex, but have become simpler than ever. 
D)  have not changed in decades, and tend to remain constant over time. 
A)  no longer matter in business writing. 
B)  are complex and some evolve over time. 
C)  used to be very complex, but have become simpler than ever. 
D)  have not changed in decades, and tend to remain constant over time.

Question 9

List three strategies to become more sensitive to your audience's needs.

Accepted Answer

You should adopt the "you" att

Question 10

List three situations in which the passive voice can help you demonstrate the "you" attitude.

Accepted Answer

The passive voice can be helpful when yo

Question 11

"The startup costs on this project increased considerably" is a simple sentence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Using the term crippled in business communication is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  disability bias. 
B)  the "you" attitude. 
C)  emphasizing the positive. 
D)  none of the above. 
A)  disability bias. 
B)  the "you" attitude. 
C)  emphasizing the positive. 
D)  none of the above.

Question 13

In business messages, using terms such as "if," "hope," and "trust" is

Accepted Answer

A)  common courtesy. 
B)  a good way to show your modesty. 
C)  acceptable for very formal contexts. 
D)  usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer's credibility. 
A)  common courtesy. 
B)  a good way to show your modesty. 
C)  acceptable for very formal contexts. 
D)  usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer's credibility.

Question 14

When composing a draft, you should never skip to another section of the document until you've finished the current one.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

To emphasize a dependent clause, it is better to place it at the end of a sentence rather than in the middle.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

In messages that need to deal with difficult negative situations, it is best to emphasize the ________ aspects of your topic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In messages that need to deal with...

Question 17

A sentence is in the ________ voice when the subject performs the action and the object receives the action.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A sentence is in the ________ voice...

Question 18

When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to

Accepted Answer

A)  be honest and call attention to the audience's failures or shortcomings. 
B)  emphasize the audience's mistakes so that they will not make the same ones again. 
C)  single out the guilty audience members as an example for everyone else to learn from. 
D)  focus on what the audience members can do to improve. 
A)  be honest and call attention to the audience's failures or shortcomings. 
B)  emphasize the audience's mistakes so that they will not make the same ones again. 
C)  single out the guilty audience members as an example for everyone else to learn from. 
D)  focus on what the audience members can do to improve.

Question 19

Templates and style sheets can both help to ensure a consistent look for all company documents.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

A(n) ________ is a cluster of sentences related to the same general topic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n) ________ is a cluster of sentences...

Exam 5: Writing Business Messages

Enlivening business messages with humor will always please your readers, especially if they don't know you very well.

How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning?

A euphemism is a word or phrase that is

________ words express a concept or quality, not a tangible object.

Explain what it means to "emphasize the positive" in business messages, and describe at least three techniques for doing so.

It is best to limit your use of the word "you" in business messages if

In general, the word "you" should be avoided when you are assigning responsibility for a mistake or problem.

The rules of grammar and usage

List three strategies to become more sensitive to your audience's needs.

List three situations in which the passive voice can help you demonstrate the "you" attitude.

"The startup costs on this project increased considerably" is a simple sentence.

Using the term crippled in business communication is an example of

In business messages, using terms such as "if," "hope," and "trust" is

When composing a draft, you should never skip to another section of the document until you've finished the current one.

To emphasize a dependent clause, it is better to place it at the end of a sentence rather than in the middle.

In messages that need to deal with difficult negative situations, it is best to emphasize the ________ aspects of your topic.

A sentence is in the ________ voice when the subject performs the action and the object receives the action.

When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to

Templates and style sheets can both help to ensure a consistent look for all company documents.

A(n) ________ is a cluster of sentences related to the same general topic.

Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication

Mastering Interpersonal Communication

Communicating in a World of Diversity

Planning Business Messages

Completing Business Messages

Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

Writing Routine and Positive Messages

Writing Negative Messages

Writing Persuasive Messages

Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information

Designing Visual Communication

Planning Reports and Proposals

Writing Reports and Proposals

Completing Reports and Proposals

Developing Oral and Online Presentations

Enhancing Presentations With Slides and Other Visuals

Building Careers and Writing Résumés

Applying and Interviewing for Employment

Format and Layout of Business Documents

Documentation of Report Sources

Correction Symbols

Filters